Improvement in knitting-machines



N-PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHE?. WASHINGTON D C to insure its being kept down out of Tiara-*STATES PAT-EN T 'OFFICE-1 BENJAMIN BOLLINGEE AND GEORGE G MNODLE, oENEw BERLIN, onro.; l

Z|lvl-PROVEIVIJENT--lN KNITTlNe-MACHINES.- I

A Specification forming part ofLetters Patent No. 82,281, dated September Q2, 1868. f

To all whom it may concer/n.:

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN BOLLINGER and GEORGE G. NODLE, `of New Berlin, in the county of Stark -and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in' Knitting-Machines 5 and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of our invention, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, arid to the letters of reference marked thereon, of which drawmgs...

Figure 1 is a plan of our improvement applied to the Isaac W. Lamb knitting-machine. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same. Fig. 4 is a view of a needle. Fig. 5 are side view and plan of the spring used in connection with the needle. Fig. 6 is an end view of the same.

Our invention relates to that class of knitting-machines where the widening and narrowing of the fabric to be knit are effected by throwing one or more of the needles into or out of the reach of the action of the operatingcams, which move the needles when working, of which the knitting-machine` patented by Isaac W. Lamb, September 15, 1863, and October 10, 1865, aifords a good example, said improvements consisting of an improved spring, which is used in connection with the knittin gneedle, the two working together to secure the bringing of the knitting-needle in a correct position to be operated on by the operatingcams when the needle is in use, and serving the way when not in use.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, `we will proceed to .describe its construction and operation.

1n the drawings, which form a part of this specification, only the main portion of the machine is shown, as it is the only part directly connected with our improvements. The inclined sides A A of the body of the machine are connected by the triangular ends B, and have the space C between their upper edges, down through which passes the work or fabric being knit. The needles F rest in slots in these sides A, and are held in said slots by the wire D and the scale E, or their equivalents, as shown. The scales E are thin pieces of metal, arranged on the sides A, as shown, and

have thenumbers-l, 2, 3, and so'on, arranged onthem, as shown, `these commencing at the center of the machine and running out toward eachend. g A

As the middle needle at `the .back of the machine- (shown at 1 at the top of Fig. 1) corresponds to a space on the front of the machine, or to two needles on said front, so there are two No. 17s on said front, as shown; 0r, in other words, as there is always one less needle at work on one side of the machine than on the other, the numbers are accordingly one less on .one side than on the other. of this scale of numbers is readily seen. If it be required to knit a piece of work ten stitches wide, the needles 1 to 5 are put at work on each side, and thenecessary number of stitches is made, and likewise for any other even number. To set the needles for an odd number of stitches-as, for instance, seven-put needles l to 4 and 1 to 3 at work on each side, having the same number of stitches on each side of the center.

It is also readily seen' that the numbers might be stamped, cast, or engraved, or ot'herwise attached to the sides A A at the side of each needle, instead of having a scale, E, of metal, as shown, or that the Nos. 1 might begin at one side of the center of the machine, if desired, but that this last plan would be objectionable, as the scale would not then apply to the full working capacity of the machine.

The needles F have the hook P at the upper ends, with such other devices as are needed to aid in the operation of knitting, and have the arm G, which is acted on by the operatingcams to produce the movement of the needles. The needle is extended back of the arm' G, as

shown at H, and when the needle is not working this part H projects beyond the side A, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. V

A spring, K,is arranged under the side A by being inserted in the block L, or in any other 4suitable manner, and thebent portion N of this The use l a length that when the needlefF is drawn up, and the lower end of the part H rests against the part N of the spring K, which ilies up at the end of the part H by reason of the action of the spring K, as soon as the needle F is drawn up vthe arm G shall be in the correct position for being acted upon by the operating-cams. The rounding depression in the side of the part N of the springK serves to guide the end of the needle F H down on the part N, and to insure the setting ofthe spring K, which would not be done were the end of the part H of the needle F H to slip off thev spring K N, which it would do were it not for this rounded depression.

Itis readily seen that this arrangement of the needle and spring insures the bringing of the arm G into the correct position for being acted upon by the operating-cam, and prevents the said arm from being broken oi' or bent, or any injury being done to the operating-cam or side A by the side of said cam striking the arm G in any place except thel proper one, and that they needles F H, being` held down by the springs K N, are not liable to work up and come in Contact with the operating-cams when thrown out of their working position. Y

Having thus fully described the nature of our improvements, what we claim as new, and desire to secure vby Letters Patent, is-

The spring K N, constructed as described, in combination with a needle of a knittingmachine, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein specied.

As evidence that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two witnesses this 5th day of March, A. D. 1868.

BENJAMIN BOLLINGER. GEORGE G. NODLE.

Witnesses M. DIsLER, GEORGE HoL'rz. 

